The pound paused its fall, triggered by inflation data

The British pound on Thursday stabilized in pairs with the US dollar and the single European currency after yesterday's sharp collapse to the levels of 1.1975 and 1.1221, respectively. The fall in the currency was caused by the publication of inflation statistics in the UK, which eased the pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates.

According to recent data, the inflation rate in January was 10.1%, falling for the third month in a row. Moreover, the current rate of inflation slowdown has become the slowest since September 2022. 

The current quote of the GBP/USD pair is 1.2074. The GBP/EUR currency pair is trading at 1.1240. 

After the release of inflation data, expectations of an early end to the cycle of interest rate hikes by the Bank of England increased. Market participants estimate a 65% probability that in March the British regulator will raise interest rates by 25 basis points, after which the increase will stop.

Also a little earlier, the UK presented a block of macroeconomic data, including statistics on wages and unemployment. The first indicator accelerated its growth, and the unemployment rate remained near 50-year lows. The employment rate has increased at the same time.

But despite the fact that the latest data turned out to be better than forecasts, analysts still admit a recession in the British economy in the I and II quarters.